In episode 76 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I interview two guests that work in the Civil Engineering world and have worked on very special projects that are helping our community and the world as a whole. They are Alan Lloyd, CIH, CSP, Associate Vice President and Corporate Health and Safety Officer from Pennoni, and Menzer Pehlivan, Ph.D., P.E., from CH2M who was one of the stars in the Dream Big Movie.

Here are some of the questions I ask our guests on impacting the world through these special projects:

Civil Engineering Career Navigation Advice from a Young Engineering Manager

In episode 073 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk with Shaun McGrath, P.E., CCM, a successful young division leader at a successful civil engineering company about career navigation through the early portions of your engineering career.

Here are some of the questions I ask Shaun:

Talk about internships and how they have helped you.

Tell us about the importance of different civil engineering career paths.

Talk about stumbling blocks and learning from them.

Is there a specific experience that you can recall that you learned something valuable from?

Tell us about the importance of finding a mentor.

Tell me more about networking.

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some key points discussed on civil engineering career navigation:

Q: Do you dread going to work every day?

Welcome to episode #35 of Engineering Career TV. The theme for today’s episode is: Dread going to Work? Then Find your Superpower Today!

I spend almost all of the Engineering Career TV episodes answering questions that have been submitted by engineers around the world. The questions are typically focused on professional development for engineering professionals, especially relevant to practicing engineers.

In episode 065 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk with David Gockel, PE, PP, LEED AP, CEO of Langan Engineering & Environmental Services, about how a day in the life of a geotechnical engineering CEO looks, especially one that is in charge of a very fast-growing firm.

Here are some of the questions I ask Dave:

What prevents engineers from learning other skill sets?

How did you acquire the skills needed to get to where you are today?

Tell me about a memorable success in your career.

Tell me about one of the mistakes you’ve made and what you learned from it.

Is it true that if civil engineers want to achieve a partner/owner status in their firms, that they must be a great business developer?

What is one valuable piece of advice that you can give to a striving seller-doer?

At what point in your career (if ever) did you have a goal of being the CEO?

How would you summarize your job description as CEO?

Would you take us through a typical day as CEO?

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a CEO?

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some key points discussed on a day in the life of a Geotechnical Engineering CEO:

I started my bachelor’s in civil engineering in 2001, more than 15 years ago. I wanted to become a civil engineer, design new roads, buildings, power plants, and fancy high-rise buildings. “Design” is a core concept in the civil engineering curriculum, where students learn to calculate loads, predict capacities, and optimize their precise solutions in very specific cases. In doing so, they become familiar with another concept, “risk”. In school, engineering students learn how to identify risk, quantify it, and attempt to minimize it within their design.

As for precision, it is an important aspect of every engineering solution. Every great design, whether it is a high-rise building, a modern vehicle, or a personal computer is built with precision in mind. A perfect design has precision in every detail, from aesthetics to core functions.

Another aspect of life as a civil engineer is learning to work as a team member. Visit any engineering office or construction site, and you will realize how important effective teamwork is in engineering. I remember that during the second year of my studies, I teamed up with three of my classmates to enter into a concrete cube competition, organized by the American Concrete Institute (ACI). We spent the entire summer of 2003 working on our concrete cube samples in a materials laboratory. Working with my friends helped me to develop strong teamwork, and project management skills. [Read more…]

In episode 065 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk with Charles(Chuck) Marohn, a Professional Engineer (PE) licensed in the State of Minnesota and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) about how our cities and towns are going broke and how civil engineers will play a role in developing strong towns in the future.

Here are some of the questions I ask Chuck:

Why are so many towns and cities across North America going broke?

What are some things that you’ve seen in your travels that don’t necessarily take thousands of dollars to implement, that have made stronger towns?

How can we as civil engineers help to build stronger towns?

What are some things that civil engineers can do to address this problem in civil engineering?

Engineering Quotes

Here are some key points discussed on how our cities and towns are going broke and how civil engineers can help long-term. Chuck says:

Q: How can I deal with engineering clients going over my head?

Welcome to Episode #23 of Engineering Career TV. The topic for this episode is dealing with engineering clients going over your head.

I will spend most of the Engineering Career TV episodes answering questions that have been submitted from engineers around the world on how to rapidly advance their careers and live the lives they want to live.

Q: How do I move up within my Engineering Firm?

Welcome to Episode #15 of Engineering Career TV. The topic for this episode is Moving Up Within Your Engineering Firm.

I will spend most of the Engineering Career TV episodes answering questions that have been submitted from engineers around the world on how to rapidly advance their careers and live the lives they want to live.